The Hub 3/5/2021: Clean Air Council’s Weekly Roundup of Transportation News

“The Hub” is a weekly round-up of transportation related news in the Philadelphia area and beyond. Check back weekly to keep up-to-date on the issues Clean Air Council’s transportation staff finds important.

Transportation Today: The American Public Transportation Association (APTA) is providing support of over $30 billion for emergency public transit funding which is included as part of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Funding public transit is vital in making it more reliable and efficient, thus encouraging people to use transit more than their personal vehicles. 

The Verge: Lime scooter company will be investing $50 million to grow its shared electric bicycle network. The company will launch a new model of bike with features including a swappable battery, integrated lock, and phone holder. They plan to extend service to 50 new cities by 2022 with a dozen new launches in North America. Alternative modes of transportation like e-bikes are components that cities can use to help lower their carbon emissions in the transportation sector.

Transportation and Climate Initiative: On Monday 03/01/2021, the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Southeast states and D.C that make up the Transportation & Climate Initiative (TCI) shared updates on the TCI Program (TCI-P). Pennsylvania is a member of this collaborative effort to slow down carbon emissions while they invest in cleaner, more equitable, and resilient transportation systems. States are seeking input and feedback on the Draft Model Rule and the TCI-P, to ensure that the program focuses on equity, environmental, climate, and transportation justice. Comments are due April 1, 2021.

CityLab: Improving and fixing infrastructure is what U.S Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg is emphasizing as a top priority of his national agenda which is fixing the country’s “maintenance backlog.” We believe that improving the facilities that already exist along with extending facilities and services such as Public Transit and electric vehicles can help cities like Philadelphia meet their climate goal.

The Inquirer: With only a few weeks before winter ends, the Transportation Department crew in New Jersey is already targeting potholes created by winter weather activities. Doing seasonal repair to infrastructure for motorists and pedestrians is very important to increase safety for everyone.

The New York Times: Farther, Faster and No Sweat: Bike-Sharing and the E-Bike Boom. Across the country, people have been turning to bike share programs and particularly e-bikes for vital transportation and recreation during the pandemic. Here in Philadelphia, Indego Bike Share has expanded (and continues to expand) its service and number of e-bikes. 

Image Source: The New York Times